Group Update

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September 3, 2021 | |
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Dear all,

As summer draws to a close, I hope this update finds you in good health and that you managed to take time off away from the demands of work. I realise travelling remained a challenge for many over the summer but maybe you took the opportunity to explore your own country a little more – I got to experience for the first time the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales in the UK with only some sunshine missing!
Another first-time experience a couple of weeks ago followed when my son brought home a certain C-19 virus from a music festival and yes… my son, my husband and I became part of the UK official statistics. Amazingly my other son avoided infection with all his tests continuing to be clear – you can imagine the banter about physical strength between brothers!

Thankfully we had all been double jabbed so whilst vaccination clearly does not offer 100% guaranteed protection, I can now speak from experience that the vaccination certainly seems to save you from the worst of the symptoms. A nasty cold coupled with taste and smell loss, joint pain and fatigue were our main complaints and I’m relieved to say that after 7 days these symptoms cleared for each of us. I’m therefore looking forward to this weekend when I can again leave the house!

My brush with COVID is not something I would like to repeat, and I will certainly be making my son camp in the garden upon his return from any future festivals but, maybe this is our new normal. We are fortunate to operate in countries well ahead in their vaccination programmes but as long as the infection remains a threat, we must not let our guard down, vaccinated or not. Mask-wearing, hand hygiene, and physical distancing as well as following safety protocols will continue to be relevant for all of us.

With a variety of topics included in my update this week, click on any one of the headlines below to take you to that article:

 

Best Regards,

Jane Beeston

Chief People Officer

 

 

Engagement Survey now closed!…

This week our annual survey came to a close and we are starting to analyse the results. Return rates look to be approximately 70% which is not as high as we would expect for Colart but for surveys in general it’s a respectable level. Thank you to everyone who took part.

In the survey, you are asked how you are feeling, your perceptions of the business, your perceptions of your leaders and whether we are living up to our strategic narrative to feel like a family and act like a high performing team.

We really look forward to analysing the results over the next couple of weeks. Once finalised we will prepare a group summary to be published in Colart News and on the intranet. Local results will also be shared with you accordingly.

If you have not already seen the results of the LRP pulse survey, you can check them out here.

 

 

Wellbeing key to our plans!…

Over the last couple of weeks, each business has been presenting their long-range plans to the GLT. As well as being an overview of how each business wants to develop and look, it was good to see these plans include ownership for promoting wellbeing.
It’s important that we all maintain our energy both mentally and physically so that we can cope with the pace of work and we recognise our responsibility as a company to create the right environment.
Wellbeing Ambassadors across each business are active in organising a wellbeing calendar across the group (link to calendar) and I look forward to seeing how this great platform of initiatives can be developed further with the support of business leaders.
We value your ideas about what else we could do as a company so please share your ideas with your local Wellbeing Ambassador or HR business partner.

 

Last few weeks of the Mid-year reviews!...

Core to our wellbeing is feeling valued in our jobs and a sense of growth. The mid-year review is a perfect opportunity to consider these matters to check on how the year is progressing for everyone both personally and professionally.
There is now four weeks to go for this review window so please talk to your line manager if you are yet to have this discussion with them. You will have received an individual communication with a link to Splash Perform but please do contact your local HR business partner if you have any questions.

Remember these mid-year reviews are not just a tick box – they are about:

  • Self-reflection, feedback and continuous improvement
  • Valuing our people and supporting their individual needs…we are all different!
  • Fundamentally supporting our people strategy to feel like a family and act like a high performing team

Don’t forget to check out the learning tool in the Colart Academy if you would like to be inspired or see a development need. There are some excellent curated courses and the more you access the tool, the more we can do. We will continue to add new content and of course, tell us what you think!

 

Keeping to the basics…

We cannot stress these basics enough, and here’s a reminder:

  1. Work remotely for those who can, only attending the workplace for the purpose of maintaining connectivity and collaboration for up to one day per week (for at least the short term)
  2. For those who cannot work remotely, you should continue to come to work as normal whilst aiming to avoid using public transport.
  3. When in work (whether a factory, warehouse, or office), follow the clear safety protocols that are in place to protect everyone’s health and welfare.
  4. Take responsibility for keeping to the safety disciplines in terms of handwashing, wearing face masks and maintaining physical distance…. Hands, Face, Space.
  5. Business travel is still not acceptable unless authorisation has been obtained in advance.  If you do need to travel, please ensure you wash your hands before and after your journey, maintain social distancing and wear a face covering over your nose and mouth for the duration of your journey.
  6. Take responsibility for yourself and others.

 

Our mantra…

Please, take into account that you need to notify Colart if you have COVID or have been asked to self-isolate. As well follow the basics outlined above and any advice from the government in your country. We need to take care of each other and STAY SAFE. 

Finally, remember we want every voice to be heard…so please keep talking to us, and this includes telling us if you are struggling in any way.  You can use all routes available to you:

1.     Your line manager.

2.     Your local HR Business Partner.

3.     The Q&A platform on the intranet.